Arts & Entertainment
Donning heels
Annual October race inspires creativity, political statements
Stacy King as Catwoman. (Photo courtesy King)
17th Street High Heel Race
Tuesday, Oct. 24
Parade at 7 p.m.; race at 9
17th and R-JR.’s
Register at Cobalt
Some folks get so excited about the annual 17th Street High Heel Race, they start planning their costumes as soon as the race is over each year.
That’s the way it is for Stacy King, a local stylist who does drag on occasion as Carolina Sugabush.
“Pretty much as soon as it’s done, the next day I start thinking about what I want to do the next year,” the 43-year-old, longtime D.C. resident says. “I kind of, you know, look throughout the year and then something will just call to me.”
This year’s race, the 31st annual, is Tuesday, Oct. 24 (it’s always the Tuesday before Halloween) from 7-9 p.m. Mayor Muriel Bowser, Ba’Naka and Ruby Corado are this year’s grand marshals. To volunteer, go to JR.’s at 6:30 p.m. for a volunteer shirt and instructions. Look for the event on Facebook for full details.
Last year about 150 raced. Thousands come each year to watch but just as popular, though, are people who come in creative drag just to see and be seen.
Whatever’s going on in news and pop culture is invariably reflected in each year’s getups. Last year Kim Davis was a big one. This year, expect everyone from Wonder Woman to Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
This is King’s fourth year going in drag though he attended several years previously as a spectator. He’s going as Mystique from “X-Men” this year and has gone as Jessica Rabbit and Catwoman in previous years.
King generally spends anywhere from $150-300 on his costume and though he mostly only wears it once, he says it’s still “totally worth it.”
The creativity involved — these are never just off-the-rack costumes from a Halloween shop — is a big part of the fun.
“They call to you from the crowd, the recognize the character, tons of people want pictures with you,” he says. “It’s validating and I like pleasing the crowd. … Every year, I’m not joking, it takes an hour to get through the crowd after it’s over just because so many people want photos. I’m always with my group of friends. … It’s insane.”
Rene Mejia performs as Kabuki B. Lee, a drag daughter of local drag legend Shi-Queeta-Lee. He works the drag brunch at Nellie’s every weekend and also performs at other events with Shi-Queeta. The first time he ever went out in drag was to the High Heel Race in 2012.
When Mejia spoke to the Blade (a sponsor of this year’s race) earlier this week, he and his drag pals were still deciding what their theme was going to be. He says they’re such pros, they can crank out a concept quickly.
“I have a couple sewing machines and some of the girls are pretty talented,” the 37-year-old Suitland, Md., resident says. “They can whip something up pretty fast and it will be awesome.”
In previous years, he’s gone as Betty Boop, the bride from “Kill Bill,” Amy Winehouse and Harley Quinn.
“It’s a fun platform for everyone who wants to say something either politically, socially or whatever, with a lot of humor and creativity,” Mejia says. “People really do put a lot of thought into it. It’s impressive. This is coming from someone who works in drag on the weekends. It’s really astonishing what some of them do.”
Stacy King as Jessica Rabbit. (Photo courtesy of King)
The Washington Blade held the seventh annual Pride on the Pier at The Wharf DC on Saturday, June 13.
(Washington Blade photos by Landon Shackelford)
The 2026 Lost River Pride Festival was held on the scenic grounds of the Lost River Farmers Market in Lost City, W.Va. on Saturday, June 13. Headliner Tom Goss performed at the festival and gave a second performance at the nearby Guesthouse Lost River.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
View on Threads
Books
David Archuleta on Mormon faith, ‘Idol,’ more in new book
Unique memoir details religious upbringing, coming out
‘Devout: Losing My Faith to Find Myself’
By David Archuleta
c.2026, Gallery Books
$29/290 pages
So just make up your mind already.
The decision is very much in your control – or, at least that’s how it’s supposed to be. It’ll be your future, your path, and seizing it may not just be necessary, but mandatory. It’s your life, and no one can live it for you. As in the new memoir “Devout” by David Archuleta, that goes for career and for love, too.
Born to parents who both had musical careers before they wed, David Archuleta remembers an early childhood growing up in a Hispanic Mormon community in Florida, where kin was always nearby. He was six when his parents moved the immediate family to Utah; the first thing he remembers about that is the snow, and how it was so cold, it burned.
Because music was in his blood, Archuleta grew up singing and dancing, often with his mother whom he calls “my rock.” It was his father, however, who encouraged him to perform; first, with a gentle push, then a shove toward a career Archuleta didn’t really want.
But he did want to make his father happy, so he went along with the contests, embarrassing meet-and-greets with stars, and uncomfortable introductions. Slowly, though, performing became more fun, and Archuleta made friends.
Meanwhile, back home, everything was breaking apart. A “family friend” whom Archuleta refuses to name accused his father of abuse. He was exonerated, but it affected the family’s closeness and they stopped being affectionate.
That was a painful backdrop to Archuleta’s soaring career, his appearances on Star Search, friendships with other rising stars, his runner-up spot on “American Idol,” tours, and recording contracts. His father kept pushing him.
But there was one thing missing.
Since he was a boy, Archuleta had known that he was attracted to men, but his Mormon faith taught him that that was unacceptable. Kissing, his abuelita said, was wrong. He tried hard to date girls, in the most chaste way. Anything past that was against God – and anything at all with a man was unthinkable.
Though it absolutely favors his personal life and dwells on it a bit too much, “Devout” strikes an otherwise nice balance between that, author David Archuleta’s career, his sexuality, and his faith. The latter two are loaded with controversy.
You don’t need to be Mormon to fully understand the faith part; Archuleta offers non-Mormons a brief education, so readers can see the importance of the Church’s teachings in his life and why he felt the need to abandon it as his understanding of his bisexuality grew. It’s emotionally raw and honest, but also so respectful that it almost bears re-reading. Such candor and the heart-on-his-sleeve tone you’ll sense are features in the entire book, alongside Archuleta’s family’s struggles and his learning to strike out alone.
It’s harmonious in more ways than one, and fans will be happy.
So, too, will anyone who wants a unique memoir with a dose of faith, or someone who’s an “American Idol”watcher. Find “Devout” and be sure to share. You won’t mind.
The Blade may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via this post.
PHOTOS: Pride on the Pier
PHOTOS: Lost River Pride
David Archuleta on Mormon faith, ‘Idol,’ more in new book
The advantages of owning your home
‘Suffs’ an entertaining chronicle of battle to pass 19th Amendment
McDuffie on LGBTQ support and standing up to Trump
Blade editor inducted into D.C. Society of Professional Journalists Hall of Fame
Pride in a new world order
Rehoboth’s Pride on the Bay set for June 27
